As we know, Natasha Romanoff died in Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame so that the rest of her team could use the Soul Stone to bring back what they had lost. In the film, Natasha and Clint Barton fight one another in a very Clint and Nat-esque battle, determined to not let the other fall to their death.

It hurts watching it because Natasha is a character that many of us have loved since her appearance in Iron Man 2, but she hasn’t really gotten her time. And yes, now she’s getting a standalone film (when movie theaters become a thing again), but it’s a long time coming. What hurts more, though, is watching this alternate death scene, because it at least makes it less about Natasha protecting Clint and his family, and more about doing what was necessary when it came down to it.

Natasha Romanoff has always been, at least to me, the character who keeps a level head about her and will do what is necessary for the fight. Much like myself, with Captain America: Civil War, she went back and forth on what team to be on because the situation switched. She always put what she thought was right first and foremost, and continued to try to fix her “red ledger” by putting herself on the line for the greater good.

So, I honestly feel like this death scene would have been even more satisfactory way of sending Natasha off and would have, clearly, still fit in with the sacrifice she made for Clint Barton and his family. Since this scene doesn’t show where exactly it comes in, I can only assume that some bit of that battle probably happens before Thanos and his army show up, right? So we’d still get that bit of back and forth before the two focused on taking down the enemy.

It also shows Natasha getting shot and being wounded to the point where she can barely stand, which only makes her death that much more of a sacrifice. She knows she can’t really recover where they are. She’s worried about Clint and his family, and when she sees Thanos coming for him, she does the only logical thing she can think to do and sacrifices herself so that Clint can get the stone and return home.

Either way, I still cry over Natasha Romanoff giving herself for the Soul Stone, but watching this scene now just hurt more than the original ever did. She saw her only option (much like Tony Stark would later do when he snapped his own fingers), and she took it without a second thought because that’s what a hero would do.

And Natasha Romanoff truly became one of the best heroes the Avengers had.

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Rachel is an I, Tonya stan who used to have a poster of Frank Sinatra on her wall as a kid. She loves superheroes, weird musicals, and wants Robert Downey Jr. to release a new album. She is Leslie Knope and she's okay with that. At least she gets to live in New York City though!